JPH0430672A - Multi-value circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the multi-value processing circuit and to make the circuit small by using a memory itself to select the mode of multi-value processing for a binary color picture data or the mode of multi-value processing for a character picture data. CONSTITUTION:A line buffer 102 has three storage areas storing a picture data for each of RGB for each picture element and selects a storage area being a storage object of a picture data in response to an RGB switching signal generated from a timing signal generator. Moreover, in total 9 picture data (9-bit) for picture elements around a picture element of the multi-value processing object in the storage area designated by the RGB switching signal are inputted to addresses of a ROM 103. To addresses of the table ROM 103, 1-bit of a character picture data is inputted from a character generator 204, 2-bits of RGB switching signals is inputted from a timing generator and 3-bits of character color designation signals are inputted from a CPU in addition to a picture data respectively. Thus, it is not required to provide a selector selecting a multi-value processing picture data and a character picture data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a multi-value conversion circuit for multi-value conversion of a color binary image.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, an image communication device such as a facsimile machine receives RGB binarized image data and adds character image data indicating the name of the receiving party and the date of reception at the beginning position (header) of the image data. It is known that it is possible to add color. When converting a binary image into a multi-value image for printing, a multi-value conversion circuit performs weighting using pixel data around the pixel of interest. Normally, the multivalued image data obtained by this calculation is printed, but when printing a character image, the character image generated by a character generator is selected using a selector and used for printing. There is.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in this type of conventional multi-value conversion circuit, it is difficult to selectively output a multi-bit received image outputted from the multi-value conversion circuit and a character image generated from a character generator to a recording device. Because of this structure, the number of input signal lines for the selector increases, which causes the problem that the entire multi-level conversion circuit becomes complicated and large. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-value conversion circuit capable of solving such problems and performing multi-value conversion of binary color data and composition of color character image data with a simple configuration.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve such an object, the present invention provides a multi-value circuit that converts color information of a color image from binary to multi-value. a holding means for holding the signal and a predetermined number of color binarized image signals adjacent to the binarized image signal as dot pattern information used for multi-value conversion; and converting a pixel of interest for each dot combination indicated by the dot pattern information. A first storage area stores multi-value color information to be added to the color image, and a second storage area stores multi-value color information of the character image when adding the character image to the color image. The dot information about the front of the character image from the means and the dot pattern information about the color image held in the holding means are inputted as addresses, and when the dot information about the character image indicates the presence of dots, the second storage area Outputs multivalued color information of
When the dot information for the character image indicates no dots, addresses are assigned to the first memory area and the second memory area so as to output multi-valued color information in the first memory area. It is characterized by comprising a memory means.

[Function] In the present invention, when adding a character image, the dot information of the character generating means is set to bit "1" indicating the presence of a dot.
When a character image is not added, each time the dot information of the character generation means becomes bit "0" indicating no dot, attention is paid to the bit "0", and when dot information indicating the presence of a dot is input to the address, the multi-value for the character image is The characters in the storage means are outputted so that when dot information indicating no dots is input as an address, the dot pattern information and corresponding multi-valued color information for the color image whose address is input from the storage means are output. Allocates addresses for multivalued color information for images and color images.

Therefore, it is possible to switch between a character image and a color image without using a selector as in the past.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows the system configuration of a facsimile machine to which the present invention is applied.

In FIG. 2, color binary image data received by a receiving circuit (not shown) is decompressed by a decoder 201 and then inputted to a multi-value converting circuit 202 in the form of a serial signal. On the other hand, a central processing unit (CPU) (not shown) sends character codes to be printed to the character generator 20.
4 and the color of the predetermined position to which the character image should be added.
When binary image data is input to the decoder 202,
The character generator 204 outputs 1-bit character image data in pixel units to the multi-value conversion circuit 202 .

When the multilevel conversion circuit 302 receives the "l" bit from the character generator 204 indicating that a pixel (dot) image is present, it outputs RGBG value data indicating the character color of the additional character specified by the CPU. . Furthermore, when a "0" bit indicating that there is no pixel image is input from the character generator 204, the received pixel image data is converted into multivalued image data to the multicolor printer 204.
Output to. The multicolor printer 203 performs color printing based on input multivalued image data.

FIG. 1 shows the circuit configuration of the multi-value converting circuit 202 shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, a line buffer 102 sequentially shifts and stores received image data, and stores pixel data for three pixel lines. The table ROM 103 outputs the stored data in the address area designated by the address input signal as multivalued data for printing.

The line buffer 102 also has three storage areas for storing the image data for each color of RGB for each pixel.
A storage area in which image data is to be stored is selected in accordance with the GBG change signal.

Furthermore, the line buffer 102 inputs the image data (9 bits) of a total of 9 pixels around the pixel to be multivalued (the pixel of interest) in the storage area specified by the RGBG switching signal around the pixel to be multivalued to the table ROM 103. do. Table R
In addition to the above image data, the OM 103 receives 1 bit of character image data from the character generator 204, 2 bits of the RGBG switching signal from the timing generator, and 3 bits of the character color designation signal from the CPU.

The stored contents of this table ROM 103 are shown in FIG.

Note that the stored content shown in FIG. 3 is for one color among RGB.

In FIG. 3, in the storage area where the CGG power bit is "0", the pixel of interest corresponding to the 1-bit pixel pattern from the line buffer 102 is stored for each character color designation code from "000" to "111". Store digitized data.

In the multivalued data, the weighting for each pixel position as shown in FIG. 4 is calculated in advance by addition calculation using coefficients.

The storage area corresponding to the CGG power bit "l" stores any one of RGB multi-value data for the color indicated by the character designation code for each pixel pattern. Such a storage area is R,
It is provided for each color of G and B.

A processing procedure for multi-value image data conversion and character synthesis using such a table ROM 103 will be explained with reference to FIG.

A) ""A'- When the rope is tight At this time, the output bit from the CG204 is °゛O''' The bit of the character color designation signal is "000", and the received "R"
” binary image data is shifted and stored in the line buffer 102, and from the line buffer, the image data centered on the pixel of interest is “
For example, a pixel pattern of “111111111” for “R” is output.
A storage area for "R" is specified by the GBG change signal, and the CG ratio in this storage area is 0, 1 character designation code is 000, and the pixel pattern is 1111111.
11" address (see Figure 3) is specified. As a result, the pixel array "111111" stored at this address is specified.
111” is stored in table ROM10.
Output from 3.

Thereafter, each time binary image data of G and B is received, the multi-valued data of G and B of the pixel of interest is stored in the table ROM1.
Output from 03. Thereafter, the above-mentioned multi-value processing is repeatedly executed every time the RGB binarized image data of each pixel is input to the line buffer 102.

B) - Hundreds of pixels of interest! When adding character pixel images to CG
The image signal of bit “1” from 2Q4 is stored in table ROM1.
03, and a signal specifying the text color is output to the CPU
is output to the table ROM 103. As a result, the color data of the character color stored in the address area designated by the bit signal is output from the table ROM 103.

As explained above, in this embodiment, the color data for the character image is also stored in the table ROM 103 in advance, and the color data is read out by inputting the address of the character image signal. This embodiment eliminates the need for a selector for selecting multivalued image data and character image data, which was necessary.

In addition to this embodiment, the following examples are given.

1) In this embodiment, the background of the added character image is the color indicated by the received image data, but if you want to use a specific color such as a white background, use one bit of the address signal line that specifies the received image data and plain image data. The data is added to the table ROM 103, and each RGB data constituting white is stored in the white background image designation address of the table FIOM 103.

2) In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the multi-value conversion circuit is used in a facsimile, but it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to other image processing apparatuses that convert binary color image signals into multi-value data.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to convert binary color image data to multi-value data and to switch character images to multi-value data using a single memory. As such, a selector is not required, and the multi-value circuit is therefore simplified and miniaturized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main system configuration of a facsimile to which the present invention is applied. FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the weighting coefficients of the pixel position of interest and its surrounding pixel positions in the embodiment of the present invention.Line buffer, table ROM, decoder, multi-level conversion circuit, Multi-color printer, character generator (CG) System 11 of this invention, the sharpest January E-water 1 button □ 7 blocks 2nd
Figure CG Ekasi,, t character designation hood pixel/g7-n)! ell! tll Memories of the words on the ROM table of the 1st meal at the restaurant, 1st edition of the 4th month of the 3rd month
figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) In a multi-value circuit that converts color information of a color image from binary to multi-value, a color binary image signal to be converted and a predetermined number of colors adjacent to the binary image signal are provided. a holding means for holding a binary image signal as dot pattern information used for multi-value conversion; a first storage area storing multi-value color information to be converted for a pixel of interest for each dot combination indicated by the dot pattern information; , a second storage area that stores multi-valued color information of the character image when adding the character image to the color image, and a second storage area that stores the multi-valued color information of the character image when adding the character image to the color image, and the dot information about the character image from the character generating means and the holding means. The dot pattern information about the color image held is inputted to the address, and when the dot information about the character image indicates the presence of dots, the multivalued color information in the second storage area is output, and the dot pattern information about the character image is output. and storage means that assigns addresses to the first storage area and the second storage area so that when the information indicates no dots, multi-valued color information in the first storage area is output. A multivalue circuit featuring: